Jet setting bureacrats claim CO2 credits

“Jet setting bureaucrats have been slammed by Tim Andrews of the Australian Taxpayers' Alliance for raking up millions of kilometres in luxury air travel. While Aussie families are struggling, bureaucrats are living the high life and travelling to exotic destinations while we foot the bill," he said adding that it was "an utter disgrace.”
Officials from the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency spent $3.274 million last year , travelling the world to speak about the perils of a warming planet, he told Barclay Crawford of The Sunday Telegraph (17/6).

Their carbon emissions were equivalent to those from the electricity needed to power 113 homes for a year. Their staff took in some of the world's premier holiday destinations, including Cancun in Mexico, the Maldives, Vanuatu, Miami and Grenada and Guyana in the Caribbean as well as the usual destinations - London, Barcelona, Los Angeles, Paris, Hong Kong and Tokyo. More than 42 flights cost more than $10,000, -$10,000. One flight from Sydney to Bali on March 23 cost $15,311. Another to Seoul from Canberra on October 25 cost $15,688.. Tim Andrews, who obtained the figures under FOI, said it was hypocrisy for the government to be slugging airlines with the carbon tax while racking up their own substantial carbon footprint. "While Aussie families are struggling, bureaucrats are living the high life and travelling to exotic destinations while we foot the bill," he added. "There is no justification for $3m on flights in one year, and the federal government ought to be ashamed.” The department defended the expenditure to the Telegraph. It was critical they represent Australia at crucial climate change negotiations. Negotiations which rarely achieve anything, but agreements to meet in yet another exotic locale. A spokesman said the department purchases 100 per cent "Green Power" offsets.

These carbon credit schemes are a speculators delight. They are a licence to pollute, often involving short changing people in the third world. In 2007, the carbon dioxide market was worth $60 billion. No wonder the merchant banks are rubbing their hands. In the meantime the politicians and bureaucrats salve their consciences about wasting your money - flying luxury class around the world to useless gabfests in luxury hotels in holiday destinations. What a rort.